This invention relates to a hand tool and more specifically to a utensil particularly useful to a person having the use of only one hand.
Eating utensils such as knives and forks of common design are unsuitable in many instances for persons who have suffered the loss of or are unable to use one arm or hand. The operation of such common devices which seem effortless to the unhandicapped present an unsurmountable problem when placed in the hands of a person having the use of only one hand or wherein the hand available is unsteady or under poor control of the person.
There is a great need for a utensil which enables a person having the use of only one hand to independently perform normal table operations involved with the use of flat ware such as table knives.
Previously known devices are cumbersome for use at a dining table or do not provide the required flexibility for cutting food on a plate in the usual eating environment. A typical device for cutting material with one hand provides support for the cutting instrument from a stand attached to a table rather than relying on support from the hand. One such prior art device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,830,688 to Bach.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a device for use as both a holder and cutting device for material.
Another object of this invention is to enable a person handicapped by the loss of an arm or hand to become more independent in the normal eating operation.
Another object of this invention is to provide a multipurpose handle having detachable tools.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an accurate and guided cutting device which will both hold and cut the material along a predetermined path.